This invention relates to a scalpel used in microsurgery and a technique for using the scalpel in such surgery.
One class of scalpel includes a thin blade having both of its flat sides beveled and tapered to a point to form substantially centered sharp edges, each of which is formed of bevels from the top and bottom of the blade.
One use of such scalpels is during microsurgery, such as surgery on the eye. The double beveled surfaces that form centered sharp edges make it easier for the surgeon to avoid unequal force exerted on each side of the blade by tissue as the incision is made. Otherwise, the unequal forces from tissue at the incision may cause the incision to be at an angle in a direction other than that which the surgeon plans because the unequal forces of tissue bearing against the blade change its orientation.
In one prior art scalpel of this class of scalpels, the surfaces are polished, stainless steel with high reflectivity. This type of surface has been criticized as creating undue glare for the surgeon since the light passing downwardly from the microscope is reflected directly up along the axis of the microscope when the knife is flat. This light causes undue glare.
Another prior art type of scalpel in this class has a matted surface designed to scatter light and thus reduce glare. However, the positioning of the blade continues to be a problem in some types of surgical procedures.
In one surgical procedure, a bent double-beveled surgical knife is used in connection with an incision, such as for example, to make sutureless incisions during cataract surgery. In making such an incision, the angle of the incision may result in an opening that is too small to accommodate the instruments or too large to close properly or shaped improperly so that it does not close properly or causes wrinkling of the cornea of the patient in a manner that impairs the ability of the surgeon to visualize the remainder of the operation through the cornea.